A Toothbrush and a Testimony

About a week ago, my 3 year old daughter, Emma, didn't want to go to sleep. I put her in bed, sang to her, tucked her in, kissed her goodnight and turned off her light. But she just wouldn't calm down enough to fall asleep. She sang, she yelled, she talked to her stuffed animals & babies, she sang some more. I had finally rocked her baby sister to sleep and wanted to put her in the crib in the bedroom that the two girls share. So I quickly laid my baby in the crib, telling Emma to "Shhhh, Liv's nite nite". After laying my baby down, I motioned for Emma to join me. She jumped from her bed, took my hand and we quietly closed their bedroom door.

We went into my bathroom, where I proceeded to take care of my usual night time routine. You know, everything that a mom does at the end of a long day. As I put toothpaste on my toothbrush and began to brush, Emma's big blue eyes opened wide! She got so excited and asked "Mommy, that your toothbrush?!" Puzzled, I nodded. After watching her stare at me for a few moments, it occurred to me. Of course she's surprised to find out that I, too, own a toothbrush and I have brush my teeth as well! She's rarely with me when I do my own night time routine, or with me in the shower when I brush my teeth there, or with me in the early morning while I'm getting ready and she's still enjoying her dreamland.

After Emma finally fell asleep and it was my turn to relax, I was reading an article in the Ensign and the thought came to me . . . Emma was so surprised to see me brushing my teeth because she never sees me do it. She didn't know that her mommy brushed her teeth .

Along those same lines . . .

How often does my family "see" what I believe?

What evidence do I give them that I have deep, unwavering faith?

Do I share my testimony of the gospel with them often enough?

Will my children be like the 2000 strippling warriors and say "We do not doubt our mothers knew it"? Alma 56:48

Does my family KNOW that I KNOW?

{My mental checklist}

~ Do I teach my family of our Savior and of His teachings? Will they know our Savior when they see him again?
~ Do I have gospel related pictures up in our home to help remind us of our Savior and our blessings, as well as to remind us that our home is a scared place?
~ Do I make sure that we attend church, even when I would rather sleep in, ensuring that I'm teaching them that it is what we do EVERY Sunday, not just when we feel like it?
~ Do I do my best to emulate the Saviors behavior in all that I do, showing kindness, honesty, charity to all?
~ Do I do everything that I can to ensure that the Spirit is in our home at all times, not allowing the adversary's influence in?
~ Do I keep inappropriate TV shows off our TV, do I surround our kids with good friends, do I listen to good music?

...and the list in my head goes on and on.

I think it's important to inventory our lives sometimes. My family needs to know that I am doing my best. Even when MY best isn't enough, when I feel like I am in desperate need of divine intervention, it is then that I pray and beg...it is then that I am blessed with more patience, more love, more desire to do good than is naturally mine. I know that my Heavenly Father knows me and what I need and that He blesses me when I need Him most.

I believe that my family knows. I believe that they know that I am doing my best and that we are blessed because of my efforts. We have peace in our home, a love for one another, and a desire to be an eternal family. And through our combined efforts, we will be together forever. Our family is not just "until death do you part"; that's not what our Heavenly Father has promised us. My love and I were married in the Temple and made sacred covenants to each other and our Heavenly Father, binding us for eternity. Who doesn't want to be with their loved ones forever? "Faith without works is dead" (James 2:20), so we need to make sure that we're doing our best at all times.

I also want my family to know that when they feel that their own faith is feeling low, that my testimony and faith is strong, that they can always "borrow" some of my light to use as their own when they need to, until their own faith is strong again.

I love my family and look forward to spending forever and ever with them.